


Half the Rent

by feverly



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, for the lolz, kounoi, literally background Minao, noijaku
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-14
Updated: 2014-04-14
Packaged: 2018-01-19 07:37:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1461151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feverly/pseuds/feverly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were an infinite number of better ways for Aoba to find out about Koujaku and Noiz.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Half the Rent

Aoba’s smile these days is usually more genuine. Things have started to improve between him and Mink, Koujaku can gather, from the way Aoba acts more and more at home in Mink’s house every time they talk over Coil. This time, they’re both seated on their respective living room couches. While it’s night time here in Midorijima, the sun is just rising where Aoba is, bathing him in soft warm light. Koujaku smiles as they converse, taking great pains to make sure his grin reaches his eyes.

And then Aoba laughs, genuinely glad to be chatting with Koujaku, when he asks, “So what have you been up to, lately, Koujaku? Have you been keeping in contact with everyone? I know you said Clear still drops by Granny’s place sometimes. What about Noiz?”

Speak of the devil and he will come. Koujaku hears the sound of the bathroom door opening with a whoosh, and then - he cringes - the sound of bare, wet feet slapping and dripping on the floor.

It’s too late. Before Koujaku can even move to block Aoba’s view, his friend has already caught sight of Noiz’s naked self crossing the hall like he pays half of Koujaku’s goddamn rent.

“K-Koujaku! Who is that?! “

Shit!

“Ah, that’s - that is, he’s -!!!!” Koujaku clutches his Coil close to his face, spit flying through the screen.

“Someone you know?” Aoba looks worried, genuinely alarmed like maybe Koujaku’s house has been invaded by a stranger, and Aoba is frustrated he can’t do anything about it because, of course, he’s a thousand miles away. Koujaku’s heart takes a little encouraged leap of happiness, but only for a millisecond.

What can he even say? Just what the hell are he and Noiz even doing anyway? Seeing each other? Going out? Sleeping with each other? No, not really, and yes while that is true, like hell he’ll actually _**say that**_! Aoba has started trying to peer around Koujaku on the screen, clearly anxious and muttering, “I could swear that looked like...”

Before Koujaku can sputter any further, Noiz comes around the table and sprawls onto the couch with a dramatic bounce, all but draping himself on Koujaku’s shoulder. He has a beer in one hand and the other can he shoves at Koujaku.

“Yo.” He says breezily to Aoba.

“N-Noiz?!”

Koujaku feels himself dying inside his own skin.

“Wait then- that person just now in the hall - that _**was** _ you then?”

“Uh huh.” Noiz cracks his beer open.

Aoba blushes a gaudy shade of red, and Ren rides to the rescue on a proverbial white horse, “What are you doing at Koujaku’s place, Noiz?”, the allmate asks in a reasonable, sane tone.

Noiz picks at the collar of the loose t-shirt he’s mercifully thrown on, his skin still lightly moistened under the cotton fabric. “I live here now.”

Koujaku chokes, and Noiz elbows him to silence him.

“You-a-a-ah, erh, I see…” Aoba looks quickly from Noiz to Koujaku to Noiz again. Then, for a few seconds reality seems to be suspended in a bubble as Aoba turns things over in his head and realizes the pieces fit together.

“Ah, so, does that mean...?”

Koujaku doesn't answer on account of Noiz’s hand clenching his upper thigh in a death grip.

“We’re together.” Noiz affirms.

Aoba’s face makes a series of slow transformations, things Koujaku can only half-recognize flitting over his features. It’s something Koujaku is powerless to stop.

But when Aoba meets Koujaku’s gaze again, the look in his eyes is tender.

“Is that so, Koujaku?” Aoba asks gently. Koujaku blinks. Aoba is asking _**him**_ , making sure that _**he** _ is okay with this, making sure that Koujaku **_is alright_**. His heart skips in happiness again. Damn it all...

He answers Aoba with a smile that is smaller, much smaller, than the ones he flashed earlier in their conversation, and he’s not quite sure if it reaches his eyes or not, but it’s there.

The vice grip slackens a little.

“Yeah.”

Aoba beams in return, “Good. I’m glad." He says softly. "I guess congratulations are in order?”

Koujaku chuckles, still a bit nerve-wracked, fingers carding through his hair, “Haha, thanks...”

“Then, the two of you can call me together from now on.” Aoba grins, tugging Ren higher up in his lap. Off screen, a door swings open and the sound of someone in heavy boots entering the room carries over the Coil. Aoba sits up straighter, glancing at Mink once before he smiles at Koujaku and Noiz again, "You guys have to tell me how you stopped trying to kill each other on sight. Next time?"

“Ah,” Koujaku nods stiffly.

Noiz shrugs.

Aoba gives Koujaku that tender look again, then bids them both goodbye. Koujaku waves him off as they end the call.

“That went well.” Noiz says, tossing his head back to drink deeply. Koujaku wrenches around in his seat, his voice returning in full force.

“What the _**HELL** _ did you say all that for?!” He roars at Noiz, who leans away like Koujaku is some sort of child throwing a temper tantrum. "And for fuck's sake, put on some pants!"

He gestures wildly at Noiz's lower half, which is still stark naked. Noiz smirks and pointedly ignores him, even crossing his legs casually.

“I said it to save you face, old fart.”

Koujaku growls, hackles rising. He shuts his eyes and presses his can of beer to his forehead, trying to stop his blood from boiling away in a mixture of embarrassment and irritation.

“And because it’s true.”

Koujaku looks up. Noiz has turned away, appearing as if he’s eyeing the fridge and considering whether or not to get another drink. His shoulders are stiff, though, and he’s taken his hand off Koujaku’s thigh, resting it limply in his own lap.

And just because of that, Koujaku slowly unwinds, the tension draining out of his body. He doesn't know what to feel about Aoba knowing about their thing, about Aoba thinking of them that way, of Aoba **_congratulating him on Noiz_**...But he can figure all of that out later. Right now, he reaches out with one hand to gently tilt Noiz’s face back around, and when he leans in, he makes sure to meet Noiz’s eyes.

“If you’re really moving in, brat,” Koujaku mumbles after they pull away, caressing Noiz’s bottom lip, “then at least pay your share of the rent.”

**Author's Note:**

> Omake: Noiz can't move in after all because all his computer shit won't fit into Koujaku's apartment. Plus, they totally clash with the decor.
> 
> Special thanks to my friend for coming up with the title - it sums this little fic up nicely. X]


End file.
